Lawn Mowing For a Healthy Lawn

In our newest blog installment, Bob gives us some gems of wisdom on how the height of your mowing impacts your weed situation.

What is the best height, and why?

Lawn mowing is seldom thought of as a weed control tool. But poor mowing practices can cause many lawn problems, including weeds.

If grass is mowed below 3” in height, bad things happen: The plant ends up putting more energy into growing the leaf, which it needs for photosynthesis, and less into developing roots. In fact, it causes the grass to shed roots because there is no leaf to sustain them. This ultimately creates a weak root system and makes the grass less capable of gathering water.

Another problem with shorter grass is that it can not shade the soil, which can therefore be unnecessarily scalded by the sun. This causes the soil to dry out and any weed seeds will get the sunlight they need to germinate. Grass then begins to thin because it has a weak root system and can’t gather water, which causes even more weeds. When the soil is scalded, it also hardens the soil and makes it more prone to compaction, during significant rain events.

The easiest thing you can do for your grass is to mow at 3” or higher and leave the clippings. This will supply about 25% of the nitrogen your grass needs. It also creates a mulch-like layer that cools roots and holds in moisture.

In the fall, mulch as many leaves in place as you can, without smothering grass. This will provide a nice mulching layer for winter and will supply some excellent food for the microbes in the soil. Your lawn next spring will be thick, healthy, and beautiful.